Photographer Bernie DeChant Takes the New Panasonic GX7 for a Spin in Japan

PetaPixel

Earlier this month, Panasonic unveiled the new Lumix GX7: a rangefinder-style Micro Four Thirds camera that the company packed full of Panasonic firsts. Since Panasonic is hoping the camera appeals to professionals and consumers alike, the folks over in advertising decided to put together a series of videos dubbed “Shooting Impressions” in which they get professionals to use the GX7 on assignment and talk about the features they liked best.

The video above features photographer Bernie DeChant and his recent trip to Kyoto, Japan where he photographed the “erikae” ceremony through which a “meiko” (an apprentice geisha) becomes a full-fledged geisha.

Beyond offering a fascinating look behind the scenes of a world not many get access to, DeChant makes sure to talk plenty about the GX7 and the features he found most useful while shooting this project.

In addition to touting the versatility of a Micro Four Thirds system, it seems the features that really helped DeChant out this time around were the speed of the camera and the new silent mode. The speedy turn on and autofocus helped him to never miss a moment, and the silent mode enabled him to keep distractions to a minimum.

DeChant was also impressed by the tilting EVF, both by its ability to tilt up 90-degrees as well as its quality that makes using it “look very much like you’re looking through glass.”

You can hear all of DeChant’s impressions by watching the video at the top, and see the resulting images on Panasonic’s website here. If you want more information on the GX7 and everything the little ILC has to offer, be sure to check out our previous coverage.